Sophia kept staring at his face while while he peeped out to see if the chasers are gone

"They're gone" he said and faced her, their faces closer than ever

He's still holding her

He can suddenly hear his heart beat as they both stared at each other

Sophia got to her senses and cleared her throat lightly

He let go of her and they came out of the place

"Thank you, and thanks for helping in class earlier" she said politely and turned to go

" Wait Sophia" Dan suddenly said when he found his voice

Sophia turned back to face him

" Yes?" She said

"I don't know how to put this but...those words I said at the rooftop the other time, I really don't mean them, it was just a slip of tongue...I'm sorry" Dan said

" Oh that?, It ok cos you're really saying the truth,I'm a dullard, I'm the one who should apologise for feeling bad about the truth though the truth hurts somehow" Sophia replied

"no, I don't..

"It's really ok, I should be on my way home, thanks again, see ya!" She said and smiled brightly before rushing off

"gosh!" Dan thought

Home

Dan took a cold shower Immediately he got home and while in the shower, he thought of nothing but her, Sophia

The smile she gave him before going the other time, it's angelic, as if he has never seen a girl smile before...but hers is just cute

He came out of the shower and put on something comfortable, he still can't get her off his head

"At this rate you might go crazy Dan" he thought and went downstairs for dinner, the rest are already seated for dinner

The only seat remaining is beside Lucky

"I'll eat upstairs" he said and made to take his food

"You don't dare Dan, you're eating here" Jessica said authoritatively

" Yes you are" Mr O'Brien added

"Then I'd rather go to bed without eating" he said

"Really?, You know when the principal didn't email me about anything today, I felt really happy that at least you didn't cause trouble, but only for me to get home and see Lucky like this, just look at what you did to your elder brother's face" Jessica said

"you should have asked him what he did that made me do that to him first" Dan replied, eyeing Lucky maliciously

" Not like I'm supporting Dan but mum, dad, Lucky is at fault here and I really think he deserves it" Jenny said

" Really?, How?, What did he do to deserve it?" Mr O'Brien asked

"It's not for adults" Dan replied

" Then it's only for kids right?, ragamuffin!" Jessica insulted

" This house is suffocating,I think I really need to go get fresh air" Dan said and left the house

" And oh mum, I have someone to tutor" Jenny said and Lucky giggled

" Why?" Jenny said

" Going to tutor your dullard friend again" he replied and Jenny threw an hand full of her leftover at him

"Gosh are you crazy!" Lucky retorted

"If course I am, living in the same house with someone like you, you think I'll still be in my right senses?, Fuck!" Jenny remarked and left the house

" You're not taking a stroll today?" Jessica asked Lucky

"No, but I'll be in my room" he replied, going upstairs

" I wish they can go out every evening like this, then all evenings will be peaceful and I can't ask for more" Mr O'Brien said and stuck hands with Jessy

Jenny and Sophia got to the central library at the same time

They settled down to do what they came for

"Let's start with biology this time around" Sophia said

" As you wish" Jenny replied and started immediately

"So that human body consists of cell, tissue, organ, and system....

Sophia was understanding at first but unfortunately she lost it at the middle of the lecture, Jenny had to start from the beginning again and again for over two hours they're still on biology

At the end, she understood some but not all, an improvement she's happy about

"It'll really be better if you have Dan as your tutor, back then in his year one days, he used to tutor two kids and if you see the kids dullness when he first started with them, you won't believe they can still be as brilliant as they became when he ended his tutoring with them" Jenny said

" Oh really?'

"Yes, he's really good at tutoring but let's scratch that, he has said it that he can never tutor again and I don't think he really will" Jenny said

"oh ok" Dan replied

" We're doing maths tomorrow, see ya!" Jenny said as she entered her car

"you'll refuse my ride as usual, well it's your choice, goodnight dear" Jenny said as her driver drove her off

" Her street must be very far from here and yet she comes, she's so kind" Sophia thought, not knowing they live in the same street

She walked home with thoughts about herself and smiled when she remembered she just improved

"I hope for more improvements from now on" she thought

Right at the park by at the silent part of the street, Dan is sitting on one of the swinging chairs with headphones on, listening to songs thought that didn't keep him from thinking about Sophia....only God knows why

He opened his eyes and as if the heavens know he's thinking of her, he saw her passing by

He smiled before standing up

"Sophia!" He waved

Sophia looked side ways and saw him at the park

"Oh, Dan?, What are you doing in my street again?" She said, coming closer

"let's just say your street loves me" he replied as she got to him

She smiled

"Why would my street love a truant and a troublemaker" she said and sat on one of the chairs beside him

"Ask your street that" he replied and they both laughed

"on a more serious note, why do I bump into you these days in my street?, Your street is not far from here right?" She asked

" Maybe, who knows" he replied

" Oh ok, I should be on my way home now, goodnight" she said, standing up

"goodnight, see ya tomorr.... oh, I'm not coming to school tomorrow, see ya on Friday" he said

" Ok, see ya!" She replied cheerfully before rushing off

"That smile again" Dan thought and smiled

"I wonder how she'll react if she finds out we live in the same street" he thought

Sophia got home and met her dad watching the news and her mum isn't in the living room, must be in her room

"Good evening dad" she greeted

"Take your dull greetings away and you can as well tuck it inside your pocket,dead brain girl, I wonder where your mum got you from" Mr Dylan replied, not sparing her a glance

She sniffed in her tears as she rushed upstairs to her room

She threw herself on the bed and her tears dampened her pillow as she rested her face on it

"Why must he always ruin my day, why?, And now ruining my day is not enough, my night too" she thought, crying more

" Oh, Dan said crying doesn't suit me, I can't continue crying like this" she thought and stood, she entered the bathroom and washed her face with water

She came out, sat on her chair and revised what she did with Jenny

Next day

"So my brother is not in school today, I get to sit with you again" Jenny said, sitting beside Sophia

"I'm glad" she replied happily

"I'm glad too" Jenny replied and they smiled at each other

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your smile is?" Jenny asked

" My mum tells me that seldom" she replied

" How about your dad?" Jenny asked

" Let's not talk about it" Sophia replied, her mood changing

" Oh dear, don't be like that, cheer up again" Jenny said, understandingly

Sophia smiled and she hugged her

"Everything will be fine" Jenny said

"By the way, why is it that your brother don't come to school on Tuesday and Thursday?"

" You don't know the meaning of truant?" Jenny asked

" I really don't" Sophia replied

Jenny brought out her phone and opened the dictionary app, she searched for truant and it brought it

"Here it it, it says truant means a person who likes to be absent from school without permission, that's what my brother is, but I'm glad he's a brilliant one, only God knows how he manages to be the most brilliant even at that" Jenny said

Sophia smiled

" Maybe he's just destined to be" she said

"Let's say it's like that" Jenny replied

The first teacher for the day entered the class, Mrs Gabriel the math teacher

"I see my best student is not in school, oh I forgot he doesn't come to school on Thursday too, ok..let's get started" she said

"don't worry, I'll explain everything to you during the evening tutorial" Jenny said to Sophia

She nodded

Luckily Mrs Gabriel didn't give assignment or ask random questions

She left and the next two teachers came for their classes including Mrs Grace the English teacher, she gave an assignment..

"We'll do it together, don't worry" Jenny whispered

"Ok"

the lunch bell sounded

Jenny and Sophia head to the cafeteria together

"You go ahead, I need to ease myself in the restroom" Jenny said

"urinating is your hubby" Sophia said and Natasha giggled as she entered the restroom

Sophia got to the cafeteria and sat at a table, waiting for Jenny to come so they can both order food together

"You think you'll go Scot free from what you did yesterday right?" Monica said from behind her

She stood up

" Don't think so, in fact,there's a lot in store for you miss dullard, just watch out" Cynthia said and they both left

Sophia gulped down hard as Jrnny came in

"Why do you look disturbed?" She asked.

"Oh it's nothing,let's order some food" she said and led the way...

After school, at the O'Brien

Jenny had a cold shower immediately she got home but one persistent migraine won't let go of her

It's too much

She managed to step out of the shower, dry her body and change into something comfortable

She decided to go downstairs for dinner though her eyes are already closing

She fell just at the stairs and Lucky caught her

"What's wrong with her?" He thought

"Oh God the queen is sick, take her upstairs to her room" Mr O'Brien said

Lucky took her to her room and layed her on her bed

" This must be as a result of the stress of tutoring that dullard" he thought as Jessica brought in cold water and napkin to place on her forehead

"She'll be ok" Jessica said, feeling her temperature

Lucky left the house

" Where is that jerk going like that?" Dan thought as he passed by him at the dinning table

Sophia couldn't find Jenny when she got to the library

She tried her number but she's not picking

"What could have happened?" She thought worriedly as she came out of the library

She's about to dial her number again when someone snatched her phone from her and smashed it on the ground.. Lucky

"Are you trying to call her when you caused her sickness?, Dullard!" Lucky ranted

" What's Wrong with Jenny?" She asked fearfully

" You have no right to ask!" Lucky replied and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer

"If I ever see you with my sister again, you're dead!" Lucky said with a face that depicts he meant every word..

He threw her hand off and left

"God!, What happened to Jenny, what happened to her" she thought and bent down, she cried but quickly wiped her tears

"Dan said crying doesn't suit me" she said to herself before heading home earlier than yesterday

Dan waited and waited at the park maybe he could be lucky and see her but he's not lucky, he didn't see her pass by

"Well I'll be in school tomorrow" he thought

Next morning

" You're not allowed to go to school today, rest" Jessica said , sitting close to Jenny

" But I'm all ok" she retorted

"No, miss Jenny, you still need rest, you don't dare go to school" Mr O'Brien replied

She relented

" Ok Dan, tell Sophia I'm sorry, tell her I couldn't come tutor her last night because I wasn't feeling well" Jenny said

" You're tutoring her?" Dan asked

" Who do you think I go out to meet every evening" Jenny replied

" Oh, so that's why I always see her" Dan thought

He got to school and the English teacher, Mrs Grace is in class already, maybe to give back assignment notes

And Mrs Grace is an announcement freak,she likes to call scores in class

He took his sit beside Sophia and he can see she's obviously shaking,not cold but fear

"Sophia Dylan" Mrs Grace Called and she spranged up

"I don't know what students like you are wasting your time on, you scored just two out of twenty questions, how dull" Mrs Grace commented as she stepped out to collect her book

She hit her leg on one of the tables and almost fell

The whole class laughed

"Daniel O'Brien, Mrs Gabriel seek your presence" a junior called

He looked at Sophia once again before rushing out of the class

"So now you have nowhere to run to" Cynthia said as Sophia picked her book

She looked at them all, trying her best not to cry

She ran out of the class but getting to the hallway, she met Monica in front of her with crates of eggs

"I told you yesterday that you can't go Scot free right?, Well for being a disgrace to our class and for doing that to me, this is what you get" Cynthia said, standing beside Monica

She threw the first egg which landed on her hair and the students jeered

They all started throwing it, it landed on all parts of her body , she can't hide her tears anymore

"I know this will be very hard for you but please Dan, can you tutor Sophia for me?" Mrs Gabriel said as Dan got to the office

"tutor?"

" Yes, you know the way I see it, the girl is not a dullard or a dummy, she's just so full of fear and that's what is destroying her" Mrs Gabriel said

" I know that" he replied

,"can you help her destroy the fear instead?, Please, even if it's for only three weeks" Mrs Gabriel said

Dan inhaled softly

"ok ma'am"

"I trust you, see you later in class, that is if you won't cause trouble today" Mrs Gabriel said and he smiled, biting his lower lip before leaving the office

Then just by the senior class corridor, he saw a scene

"Cynthia and Monica, those two devils" he muttered, taking off his suit

Sophia kept standing, receiving all the eggs they threw at her as tears fell off her eyes

Till someone came from behind and covered her with something

Dan!

Cynthia is about to throw another egg when she saw Dan covering her with the suit, her hand stopped midair

Dab shot them a deadly glare

"Throw one more egg and I'll have to throw punches" he said seriously

Sophia kept looking at him

"let's get out of here" he said and guided her out of the hallway as students parted ways for them